The Pittsburgh Steelers will play the New England Patriots on Sunday and at home in their second game of the 2022 regular season and if you’re like me, you’re counting down the hours until the game begins. As usual, I will attempt to project the Steelers inactives for every game of the 2022 season and below is my best guess as to which players won’t be given helmets on Sunday against the Patriots.
Game inactives are officially announced 90 minutes before kickoff, so make sure you check back at that time to see the names of the players for both teams who will be sitting the game out. Also, the new roster rules make this exercise even harder as team’s can elevate up to two players from their practice squads to their active roster for gamedays. Team’s also can dress up to 48 players for games if eight offensive linemen are dressed.
QB Mason Rudolph – As expected, Rudolph was inactive in Week 1 as he was the No. 3 quarterback on the depth chart entering the 2022 regular season. Nothing has changed this week when it comes to Rudolph’s position on the depth chart so you can expect rookie quarterback to once again backup starter Mitch Trubisky on Sunday against the Patriots. Barring any sort of injury to Trubisky or Pickett, look for Rudolph to remain on the weekly inactive list moving forward into the regular season. The 2022 trade deadline is November 1 so it will be interesting to see if Rudolph is still on the Steelers past that date.
G Kendrick Green – It wasn’t hard to predict that Green would be inactive in Week 1. He was the lone offensive lineman on the Steelers 53-man roster to not get helmet last Sunday and there’s no reason to think that same thing won’t occur on Sunday at home against the Patriots. Like Rudolph, Green figures to be in the inactive list quite a bit in 2022, barring injuries to one of the other eight offensive linemen. As things stand right now, newcomer Jesse Davis looks to be the Steelers backup swing guard in 2022.
ILB Mark Robinson – The Steelers chose to dress six defensive linemen in Week 1 and that resulted in the rookie Robinson being in inactive for his first NFL game. The Steelers dressed four inside linebackers in total in Week 1 with Marcus Allen being no. 4 to help out on special teams. With fellow inside linebacker Robert Spillane making it through the week with his eye injury, expect the same four in that position group to get helmets on Sunday against the Patriots. In short, look for Robinson to once again be inactive at Acrisure Stadium for the team’s first home game of 2022.
WR Steven Sims – Just as was the case in Week 1, the Steelers will likely look to dress just five wide receivers on Sunday against the Patriots. If that’s the case, Sims would likely be the odd man out once again as his special teams value is really only as a returner, a job that fellow wide receiver Gunner Olszewski owns. The only way Sims figures to get a helmet in the coming weeks is if an injury to another wide receiver occurs. He’s only dressed for one game since joining the Steelers over a year ago.
DE Isaiahh Loudermilk – The Steelers decided to dress rookie defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal over Loudermilk in Week 1 as part of the team having six total defensive linemen in helmets for that road contest. While Leal did suffer a minor injury last Sunday, he did not show up on the team’s report this past week. In short, we figure to see Leal get helmet over Loudermilk once again on Sunday. One of the two will certainly be inactive.
OLB David Anenih – The Steelers elevated outside linebacker Delontae Scott to the gameday Active/Inactive roster on Saturday and that move might result in Anenih being one the team’s six inactive players on Sunday. Anenih was signed off the Tennessee Titans practice squad earlier in the week and the team might have more confidence in Scott right now as the rookie continues to get on the moving train. Scott might be considered the better special teams player of the two as well. The Steelers now have five outside linebackers on their Active/Inactive roster ahead of Sunday’s game so it’s likely that either Anenih or Scott won’t receive a helmet.
